Fountain installation



June 4, 1957 Q. PRzYs'rAwlK FOUNTAIN INSTALLATION Filed Aug. 31, 1953 Huummmnlm,

Y'el 5 Lala Jnven for: M TAZKSTA wm Afforney United States Patent roUNrAiN mtsrALLArroN Otto Przystawik, Berlin-Lichterelde-Ost, Germany, as-

signor to Dancing Waters, inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of l Tew York This invention relates to fountain installations, and more particularly to a device for the closing and opening of a water curtain formed by a series of water jets arranged next to each other.

Hitherto it is customary to close and open a water curtain by causing a gradual rising and lowering of the water jets produced by a nozzle conduit installed ona floor. This procedure corresponds to a movement of a curtain in vertical direction.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device by means of which a water curtain may be opened and closed in a horizontal direction without a movement of the nozzle conduit itself.

Another object of the invention is to improve on the art of devices for the closing and opening of water curtains as now ordinarily made.

Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, wherein:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a device according to the invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the end portion of a nozzle conduit, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of a nozzle conduit with a piston movable therein.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the nozzle conduit comprises two conduit sections 1 and 2 overlapping each other somewhat in the center portion of the installation, and each having a series of nozzles 1' and 2 respectively. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the nozzles 1' and 2 spaced axially along the nozzle conduits 1 and 2, however, do not overlap. The overlapping ends of said conduit sections are connected with a water pump 4 through the medium of a forked conduit 3, a motor 5 being connected with said pump 4 for operating same. The opposite ends of said conduit sections 1 and 2 are connected with a water pump 7 through the medium of a forked conduit 6, a motor 8 being connected with said last mentioned pump 7 for operating the latter. The supply conduit 6 consists of a plurality of sections connected with each other by a suitable number of couplings 9, so that the installation may be readily taken apart. Likewise, the conduit sections 1 and 2 are composed of a plurality of sub-sections connected with each other by sleeves 10.

Pistons or controlling means 25 and 27, respectively, are slidably arranged within each of the conduit sections 1 and 2. The construction of such a piston 25 or 27 is best shown in Fig. 3. The piston 25 or 27 comprises a rubber disc 11 clamped between two guiding cylinders 12; the pressure acting on the rubber disc 11 may be adjusted by means of a clamping screw 13. The ends of the screw 13 are connected with an endless traction rope 14 passing through sealing stuffing boxes 15 (see Fig. 2) arranged at the ends of the conduit sections 1 and 2. The endless rope 14 is engaged with two rollers 16 and 17. The roller 17 may be rotated by an electric motor 19 through the medium of a worm and worm gear mechanism 18. A

ice

switch is arranged at each of the opposite ends of the conduit sections 1 and 2. The switch 20 (see Fig. 2) is arranged at the outer end of the conduit section 2. Said switch 2i? actuatable by the piston 27 through the medium of a slide 21 is arranged in the circuit of the electric motor 19. When the piston 27 reaches its extreme position at the outer end of the conduit section 2, it causes an actuation of said switch 20 whereby the circuit of the electric motor V19 is interrupted. Another switch (not shown) operating in a similar manner is arranged at the inner end of the conduit section 1 for actuation by the piston 25 through the medium of a slide 21.

When the installation is arranged on a oor, the nozzle conduit is placed into a tub 22 indicated by dash lines. The water ejected from the nozzles of the nozzle conduit 1, 2 is collected by said tube 22. Furthermore, suction pipes (not shown) are placed into said tub 22 for returning the water to the pumps 4 and 7 through lines 23 and 24 respectively.

If desired, the nozzle conduit 1, 2 may also be arranged at the ceiling of a stage; in such a case the tub 22 is placed on the floor of the stage underneath the nozzle conduit.

The operation of the device is as follows:

When the water curtain shall be opened from the centerv towards the sides, at first the pump 7 is rendered active for the formation of the curtain, while the pistons 25 and 27 are in the position shown in Fig. l. The water supplied by the pump 7 is ejected from the nozzles of the conduit sections 1 and 2. Then, for an opening of the curtain, the motor 19 is switched on so as to rotate in a direction causing a movement of the piston 25 in the direction of the arrow 26 and causing a movement of the piston 27 in the opposite direction of the arrow 28. Thus, the spray nozzles are disconnected from the supply of water delivered by the pump 7, one after the other from the center towards the sides. As soon as the piston 27 reaches the end of the conduit section 2, said piston actuates the switch 20 for a switching oi of the motor 19 driving the pistons 25 and 27. For a closing of the water curtain, the motor 19 is caused to rotate in opposite direction, so that the pistons 25 and 27 are returned into their starting position for connecting the spray nozzles with the supply of water delivered by the pump 7, one after the other from the outer sides towards the center. As soon as the piston 25 reaches the inner end of the conduit section 1, said piston actuates the switch arranged at said end of the conduit section 1 for switching off the motor 19.

If the curtain shall be developed from the center to the sides, the pump 4 is rendered active instead of the pump 7. At first no water is ejected from the nozzles of the nozzle conduit, as the conduit sections 1 and 2 are closed by the pistons 25 and 27 being in the position shown in Fig. l. Now, as soon as the pistons 25 and 27 are moved in the direction of the arrows 26 and 28 respectively, the pistons liberate the nozzles, one after the other, from the center towards the sides, so that water delivered by the pump 4 may be ejected from the nozzles for developing the curtain from the center towards the sides. An opening of the curtain may be obtained by moving the pistonsl in opposite direction. The operation of the switches 20 in connection with a closing and opening of the curtain in this manner corresponds to the operation of the switches 20 as described above in connection with the other method for opening and closing the curtain.

The power of the pump motors 5 and 8 and the power of the motor 19 driving the pistons 25 and 27 are in such a relation to each other that a movement of the pistons in the desired manner is assured.

I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is understood that this disclosure is for those, herein shown and described, may be made with-y out departing from the Yspirit and scope lof the invention as set forth inthe appended claims.

' What l claimis:

1. A fountain installation comprising in combination: a rst nozzle conduit having a rst series of nozzles arranged next to each other, a second nozzle conduit havinga second series of nozzles arranged next to each other, Ysaid nozzle conduits extending laterally from a central portion of the installation inl opposite directions, means for supplying water, under pressure to opposite ends of said nozzle conduits sofas to produce flows of Water in oppositel directions through said nozzle 'conduits,-a lirst movableY controlling means operatively associated with saidflirst nozzle conduit, a second movable controlling means operatively associated with said second nozzle conduit, each of said controlling means being reciprocable in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the associated nozzle conduit, and actuating means connected with each of said controlling means for selectively displacing same in opposite directions relative to each other in and against the direction of the flow of water in the associated nozzle circuit, each of said controlling means being arranged for openingan increasing number `of said nozzles during its movement-in one direction and for shutting off an increasing number of said nozzles during its movement in the opposite direction whereby a water Vcurtain formed by water jets ejected from open nozzles may be closed and opened.

A-2. In a fountain installation as claimed in claim l, said actuating means including an endless rope drive, and ysaid two controlling means being connected'to *opposite sides of said endless rope drive for displacement in opposite directions.

l3. In a fountain installation as claimed in claim 1, said actuating means including a power drive, and automatic control means connected with said power drive for renderingl same inoperative, each of Vsaid lrst mentioned controlling means being arranged for actuating said automatic control means when saidv Yfirst mentioned kcontrolling'means reaches its end position.

4. A fountain installation comprising in combination: a rst nozzle conduit having a first series of nozzles arranged next to each other, a second nozzle conduit having a 'second series of nozzles arranged next to each other, said nozzle conduits extending laterally from a central portion of the installation in opposite directions, a first water pump connected with each of the inner ends of said two nozzle conduits at the central portion of the installation for delivering water to said nozzles so as to produce water jets ejected from said nozzles, a second water pump connected with each of the opposite outer ends of said two nozzle conduits so as to produce water jets ejected from said nozzles, said two water pumps being operable independently from each other, a iirst movable controllingl means operatively associated with said first nozzle conl duit, a second movable controlling means operatively associated with said second nozzle conduit, each of said controlling means being reciprocable in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the associated nozzle conduit, and actuating means connected with said controlling means, said actuating means including means for displacing said two controlling means in opposite directions relative to each other, each of said controlling means being arranged for liberating an increasing number of water jets during its movement in one direction and for shutting ot an increasing number of Water jets during its movement in the opposite direction whereby a Water curtain may be closed and opened.

5. In a fountain installation as claimed in claim 4, said controlling means including a piston slidably arl ranged within said nozzle conduit.

6. A fountain 'installation comprising in combination: a nozzle conduit having a series of nozzles spaced axially along the nozzle conduit, first means for supplying water to one end of said nozzle conduit so as to produce a flow of water in a predetermined direction through said nozzle conduit, second means for supplying Water to the other end of said nozzle conduit so as to produce a flow of water in the opposite direction through said nozzle conduit, operating means for selectively render- Ving factivelsaid first means and said second means, the

outletsV of said nozzles being free from opposing structures so as to provide for an unobstructed path of water jets ejected from said nozzles, a piston reciprocably arranged within said nozzle conduit, said piston making a fsubstantially water-tight fit with the interior of said nozzle conduit, and actuating means operatively connected withV said piston-for selectively propelling same along the inside of said nozzle conduit in and against the direction oflthe flow of Waterfin the latter.

7. A fountain installation comprising in combination: apair of-nozzle'conduits extending in opposite directions from a central portion of the installation, each nozzle conduit having'a series of lnozzles spaced axially along thenozzle'conduit, means for supplying Water to opposite ends of said nozzle conduits so as to produce a flow of water in opposite` directions through said nozzle conduits, a piston reciprocably arranged within each of said nozzle conduits, each piston making a substantially water-tight iit with the interior of its associated nozzle conduit, ,and-actuating means operatively connected with each piston for selectively propelling same along theV inside-of its associated nozzle conduit in and against the direction of the flow of Water in the latter.

8. A`fountai'n installation comprising in-combination: a pair of nozzle conduits extending in opposite directions from a central portion of the installation, each nozzle conduit having' a series of nozzles spaced along the nozzle conduit, lirst means for supplying water to lirst opposite ends of said nozzle conduits so as to produce a owIof water in `opposite directions through sadi nozzle conduits, second means for supplying water to the other opposite ends of said nozzle conduits so as to produce a second Viiow of water in opposite directions through said nozzle conduits, operating means for selectively rendering active said first means and said second means, a piston reciprocably arranged within each of said nozzle conduits, each piston making a substantially water-tight t with the interior of its associated nozzle conduit, and actuating means operatively connected with each piston for selectively propelling same along the inside of its associated nozzle conduit in and against the direction of the ow of water in the latter.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

